Why can't the next iPhone have a wider display?

I can't see the logic of Apple moving to a 16:9 elongated screen for the next iPhone. The general consensus on this site seems to be that it's the only way to offer a larger screen without breaking existing apps, the size difference being offset (supposedly) by a black bar at the top/bottom of the screen.

My question is, if this is a solution for a taller display, why can't it be for a wider display as well? Why couldn't there be black bars on the sides of the screen as well as the top and bottom?

Surely the obvious solution is the one used on the iPad when displaying iPhone apps - just have apps displayed in a 3.5" window in the centre of the screen with black/grey/blue bars running around the edges.

This way Apple could increase the screen size to whatever it wanted (4"/4.3"/4.7"), using a standard resolution (720p), while maintaining retina status, without having to worry about compatibility with existing apps.

Can anyone think of any reason why this couldn't work, or why Apple would prefer to go down the 16:9 route? (from a technical standpoint - I'm not really worried about the 'it wouldn't fit in my hand' argument).

I'm not really worried about the 'it wouldn't fit in my hand' argument).

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Well I guess Apple is.
Either Jobs/Cook/Ive didn't want a wider phone or they have market data saying that some percentage of people don't but Apple is Apple and they're not going to put out a larger phone just because others are doing it.
The longer phone was necessary for some technical reason that we'll all find out come the fall.
Either LTE antenna requirements or battery life requirements or NFC requirements or some other requirements.
It wasn't lengthened on a whim and it wasn't widened for a reason.
Yes, it might be something as silly as one of those three men didn't like it but that has always been as good as any other reason for Apple to do or to not do something.

I personally feel that elongating the display is beneficial for most apps. I find that I use my
iPhone in portrait 95% of the time; by making the display taller, you would allow for more content to be displayed effectively.

Most apps I use tend to be focused on vertical scrolling, not horizontal. Also, by making the display taller, they allow for more content to be displayed when they keyboard is in use.

I noticed that I usually only use the phone in landscape when im playing a game or watching a video. In both of theses instances, having a wider 16:9 ratio would be beneficial -- from my standpoint.

Again, just trying to contribute to the conversation. Simply what I've observed from using my iPhone for quite some time.

I personally feel that elongating the display is beneficial for most apps. I find that I use my
iPhone in portrait 95% of the time; by making the display taller, you would allow for more content to be displayed effectively.

Most apps I use tend to be focused on vertical scrolling, not horizontal. Also, by making the display taller, they allow for more content to be displayed when they keyboard is in use.

I noticed that I usually only use the phone in landscape when im playing a game or watching a video. In both of theses instances, having a wider 16:9 ratio would be beneficial -- from my standpoint.

Again, just trying to contribute to the conversation. Simply what I've observed from using my iPhone for quite some time.

I personally feel that elongating the display is beneficial for most apps. I find that I use my
iPhone in portrait 95% of the time; by making the display taller, you would allow for more content to be displayed effectively.

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Interesting observation.

As we can see from the pic, the longer screen actually displays more valuable information within in app, while the wide screen has little benefit.

Considering this is the layout of most iOS apps, the user, in theory, should see more of the content they want with the longer screen.

As we can see from the pic, the longer screen actually displays more valuable information within in app, while the wide screen has little benefit.

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You are not considering when people browse websites. A larger overall screen will make text larger and the website less squeezed into a small screen. Also when people use the iPhone in landscape mode there still won't be any extra screen room height benefits. A taller screen only benefits portait orientation while a screen that is both taller and wider benefits both. I woud use landscape orientation more of it was wider which makes it taller.

Your 3:2 image example is only a modest increase in size. I would like it to be a little bit larger than that if they kept the same aspect ratio. It would make everything overall bigger so that it's easier to see details and read larger texts. It's the same reason why people want larger screen TVs rather than just a stretched TV.

The general consensus on this site seems to be that it's the only way to offer a larger screen without breaking existing apps, the size difference being offset (supposedly) by a black bar at the top/bottom of the screen.

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Not really, iOS could supposedly be able to adjust to the new resolution and take advantage of the added pixels for free in apps.

by making the display taller, you would allow for more content to be displayed effectively.

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Not so much.

A 4" 16:9 screen would be about an 18% surface increase.
A 4" 3:2 screen would be over a 23% surface increase.

Now, it is not enough to say this, it all depends on the real metric, that is, the pixel density.

If more lines can be displayed on the more elongated 16:9, each lines on the 3:2 4" would allow to display more characters (if font size adjustement to display characters at the same physical size), and so less lines to display the same text content.

I already posted in some other thread this example of a 3:2 3.93" screen.
Compared to the rumored 1136x640 screen at 326 ppi, such a screen hold the comparison on content area gain.

For example, one argument for a 16:9 screen often given is the benefit of the elongated ratio when the keyboard is displayed on screen. Indeed, the keyboard would be exactly the same as on the actual 3:2 screen (in portrait, 216 pts tall = 432 pixels on retina iPhone) and the pixels added vertically allow more data to be displayed.
Typically, keyboard displayed on an app like Pages, with status bar and toolbars, only allow a content area of 400x640 pixels (at 326 ppi). On the 16:9 screen, it then would measure 576x640 and so an increase of 44 % of content area.

On the 1440x960 at 440 ppi 3:2 screen, iOS could display the keyboard at the same physical height as it is on the actual resolution (584 pixels tall at 440 ppi in portrait, no vertical expansion) while each key could be a bit wider/a bit more spaced, as the screen grew in width. Similarly, status bar and toolbars could be displayed at the same height as on an actual iPhone. The content area would measure 684x960 pixels (at 440 ppi), and so a content area gain of 41 %.

Not so bad.
And way more interesting in landscape:
while on the 16:9 screen, the keyboard would still measure vertically the same 162 pts (324 pixels at 326 ppi, more than half the height of the screen, with no possibility to have a keyboard split like on iPads to display more content) leaving only 18% more surface available,
the keyboard on the 440 ppi screen would be 438 pixels tall, leaving 55% of the bigger 4" screen for content, with 36% more surface available.

Well, as we can see, it's not only a question of screen size and pixel density, it's also (in both cases) a software problem: how to deal with a new resolution.
iOS would have to auto-magically handle this change to allow developpers to not have to completely re-do their apps.

For example, one argument for a 16:9 screen often given is the benefit of the elongated ratio when the keyboard is displayed on screen.

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You have a good point. 16:9 does give more screen space when the keyboard it being used. A larger same aspect ratio iPhone won't get that benefit. In my opinion, a good solution for me would be 16:9 but a 4.3" screen. This will add the benefit of the keyboard not taking up so much screen space, but it will also be wider because Apple would have to widen it to get 4.3" rather than only 4". This all gives it an overall bigger screen.

I've already used some phones that are 16:9 and 4.3" screens. They are very nice to use. If Apple wants to go in this direction of 16:9, I wish they would make a 4.3" screen instead of 4". Of course, that is my personal preference. I'm not saying it will be perfect for everyone else.

Comparing the 16:9 and 3:2 phones in the picture on your post, the text on the 3:2 is clearly larger (as are the icons), and that's why there is no more text shown. If the two phones had the same size text and icons, there would be more info shown.

On that website list that is shown, there is a lot of dead space, so you can't tell much difference. If you showed a picture you would see the difference in area.

You are not considering when people browse websites. A larger overall screen will make text larger and the website less squeezed into a small screen. Also when people use the iPhone in landscape mode there still won't be any extra screen room height benefits. A taller screen only benefits portait orientation while a screen that is both taller and wider benefits both. I woud use landscape orientation more of it was wider which makes it taller.

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This. Not sure about everyone else, but I prodominately use my iPhone in landscape mode when browsing the web, so for me a taller screen would not offer any practical benefits. At least with a proportionally larger screen there would be an improvement in both landscape and portrait viewing.

Apple really must think that the current width is the optimal size, which is odd considering that larger phones have been selling surprisingly well over the last couple of years.

It's a shame - imagine what Apple could do if they really wanted to go for a design with a larger screen.

If the two phones had the same size text and icons, there would be more info shown.

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Yep, that's also what i said earlier.

But for being able to display text at the same physical size, adjustements also depends on pixel density.
In his example, it appears to be a screen at the same resolution as we have now, so pixel density is less important, not anymore retina-class, and to display a font at the same physical size, you'd need to lower its size; not sure it would be visually good, pixels are bigger.

My example solve this problem: increasing the pixel density and the resolution imply no trade-offs on text quality when displayed at the same physical size (and actually, even improve it, if it was necessary).
And in this case, for images, it's easier: either pictures are big enough (in particular, photos have usually more pixels in real size than pixels used to display them on screen) to support being displayed on 35% more pixels, or if it's pictures used by devs for their apps, they would have to not only have a 1x and 2x version of each bitmaps element but also supply a 2.7x version for being displayed at the same physical size [maybe in a box 3x the size -at least in width- to not mess up with the app design] or a 3x version.

You've got to remember, logic is not something Apple practices. In order to keep people guessing, to prove the power Apple has over it's believers, they do things that don't always make sense. Of far higher priority is to squeeze as much profit out of each revision as possible. This can be seen in every Apple product if you know what to look for. It's how Apple operates.

In a stroke of genius, they program their worshipers to believe in anything Apple says or does. Then in turn these disciples repeat the dialog over and over until they actually believe it. Now that it's Gospel, how dare anyone to question the wisdom & decisions of the holy ones

"it's not about specs"
"it's not about features or performance"
"it's about the Apple experience".

I give Apple a lot of credit for the command & control they have. Millions of users marching in lockstep to the "Apple Way". The sales volume proves it. An amazing testimony to Apples power & marketing skills. To sell a phone that is nearly featureless in it's flat rectangular shape. To have their followers call a rectangle "iconic" is proof that it doesn't take much as long as it comes with Apples magical logo.

I give Apple a lot of credit for the command & control they have. Millions of users marching in lockstep to the "Apple Way". The sales volume proves it. An amazing testimony to Apples power & marketing skills. To sell a phone that is nearly featureless in it's flat rectangular shape. To have their followers call a rectangle "iconic" is proof that it doesn't take much as long as it comes with Apples magical logo.

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You should give them a lot of credit. Phones looked like this 4 years ago

Then the iPhone came out and now all the phones that people want look like an iPhone.

One thing that Apple has that many companies lack is vision and the ability to execute this vision. Marketing cannot do it all. Try to marketing poop flavored toothpaste and see how far that goes.

There are no tricks here. Apple delivers product and features that are attractive to the largest part of the market. They don't and have never catered to geeks. They've always been about "The Computer for the rest of us"

You've got to remember, logic is not something Apple practices. In order to keep people guessing, to prove the power Apple has over it's believers, they do things that don't always make sense. Of far higher priority is to squeeze as much profit out of each revision as possible. This can be seen in every Apple product if you know what to look for. It's how Apple operates.

In a stroke of genius, they program their worshipers to believe in anything Apple says or does. Then in turn these disciples repeat the dialog over and over until they actually believe it. Now that it's Gospel, how dare anyone to question the wisdom & decisions of the holy ones

"it's not about specs"
"it's not about features or performance"
"it's about the Apple experience".

I give Apple a lot of credit for the command & control they have. Millions of users marching in lockstep to the "Apple Way". The sales volume proves it. An amazing testimony to Apples power & marketing skills. To sell a phone that is nearly featureless in it's flat rectangular shape. To have their followers call a rectangle "iconic" is proof that it doesn't take much as long as it comes with Apples magical logo.

I don't see why they can't make the screen a little wider and taller instead of just stretching the screen upwards. It would make browsing the internet much better because everything would be a little bit easier to read.

There are no tricks here. Apple delivers product and features that are attractive to the largest part of the market. They don't and have never catered to geeks. They've always been about "The Computer for the rest of us"

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Exactly! Apple doesn't give a damn what people want. They're going to make a quality product that they want to make and that the majority of the market is going to buy. They're a business. They're end game is to make money, not cater to everyone's needs. Make a quality product, sell it at a profitable price, and rule the world. Seems to be working so far. Want a wider screen? Shop somewhere else.

The point everyone seems to me missing is (and I'll bold it for the attention deficit crowd) the existing 3.5" width is too damn small to read a web page, book or forum! Forms are too small to fill out without needle point finger tips and selecting things with normal size fingers is a hit and miss exercise in frustration. It's not about cramming more information on a microscopic screen, it's about making the whole thing large enough so you can read things without zooming!

If you can't get this simple point, then there's no getting through to you.

The point everyone seems to me missing is (and I'll bold it for the attention deficit crowd) the existing 3.5" width is too damn small to read a web page, book or forum! Forms are too small to fill out without needle point finger tips and selecting things with normal size fingers is a hit and miss exercise in frustration. It's not about cramming more information on a microscopic screen, it's about making the whole thing large enough so you can read things without zooming!

If you can't get this simple point, then there's no getting through to you.

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Don't read books on my phone, and I read and post on this forum and other internet forums on my iPhone daily.

So you're wrong. Or better yet, say YOU YOU YOU, can't post on forums or read webpages. If you've got a problem, solve it by getting some brand X device that's sorta like an iPhone.

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